THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OR THE "ADA"

The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.

"... the context of the ADA, “disability” is a legal term rather than a medical one. "

The ADA defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. Source URL:
https://adata.org/learn-about-ada"
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The accomadation made in public or educational facilities for people with hearing loss may include: Assistive Listening Systems, Captions, notetakers, C.A.R.T and(Communication Access Realtime Translation). When in a facility that caters to the public, if a speaker is used for hearing people, there must be an accomodation for people with hearing loss. This includes nursing homes, assisted living facilites, concert and lecture halls, for example.

​​The ADA National Network is comprised of of ten Regional Centers. Individuals, businessess, educational facilities and others can call or contact a Regional Center for ADA regulations and the handling of issues of suspected non compliance. New York State is inluded in Region two. Contact information is provided below.

WHAT ARE ASSISTIVE LISTENING AND SIGNALING DEVICES AND SYSTEMS?

Assistive Listening and alerting (signaling) devices are used with or without an individual's hearing aid or cochlear implant, to help an individual hear in challenging hearing environments.​​​

Assistive Listening or alerting systemsare systems that help a group of people hear in difficult hearing enviroments, usually but not always in large venues such as theaters, concert halls, and lecture halls.

The technology used in listening or signaling systems may be wired or wireless and be catagorized as Frequency modulated (FM), Infrared (IR), Bluetooth, or electromagnetic, such as used in a "hearing loop".

Alerting (signaling) devices may utilize loud sound, flashing or strobe lights, or vibrations to alert the user to a sound or danger they otherwise may not hear.

Assistive Listening Devices (ALD's) and Assistive Listening Systems (ALS's) often use the telecoil in a the users hearing aid or cochliear Implant.

LOCAL ACCESSIBILITY

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Note: In addition to signage indicating your house of worship has an Assistive Listening System (ALS), it is suggested the information also be placed on the service program, if one is used.​

Suggested Wording

If a hearing loop is installed: “To use our hearing loop, activate the telecoil on your hearing aid/cochlear implant. Adjust the volume as needed. If you don't have access to a telecoil, plug in a headset to one of our receivers.

If an FM system is installed: "To use our FM system obtain a reciver from us, plug in a headset or neckloop (for users with telecoils), and adjust the volume on the receiver or activate your telecoil."

DISCLAIMER: Documents on this website have been compiled by the Hearing Loss Association of America Rochester NY as an information resource. The content is believed to be accurate at the time of posting; material is subject to change. Mention of goods or services in advertisements does not imply Hearing Loss Association of America endorsement; exclusion does not suggest disapproval.